


As Fate Would Have It

by celestial_light



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angst, Brain Damage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 11:36:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15314640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_light/pseuds/celestial_light
Summary: Elros stops Maedhros from committing suicide, and deals with the consequences of thwarting fate.





	As Fate Would Have It

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to write this a while. I always believed that if Elros had the chance, he would have been the one to stop Maedhros from killing himself, and I wanted to explore that. More warnings to be added as the story progressed (it won't be long), I've already got the end planned. 
> 
> If you like it, please give it a kudos and a comment, that way i'll keep on writing XD 
> 
> As always i'm my own beta!

Elros hurled the rock in his hand with sickening precision, the jagged edges of the stone striking the redhead with a splitting crack. The edges exploded like shrapnel, ricocheting off of the elf’s head and crashing onto the ground.

Not too long after, the body followed, collapsing onto a bed of hot, jagged earth, ash and smoke spewing all around him.

Elros’ chest heaved as he began his trek through pillars of smoke and spouts of molten earth, his lungs burning as the poisonous fumes filled his body. The stinging in his eyes followed soon after, and hot, prickly tears spilled down his ashen face.

He walked through a thick waves of heat,  his mortal body steadily crumbling under the elements. If he continued on like this, he wouldn’t last for much longer.  Perhaps he should have waited for Elrond to come. He could have done this with more ease than Elros, his elven blood and resilience more evident in him now than ever. But he had been too preoccupied with a hysterical Maglor to even notice Maedhros slipping away with a vacant look in his eyes.

A column of lava spewing out of the ground snapped him back to his senses, and he bolted out of the way with little time to spare.

He was closer to Maedhros’ than before, not more than five feet away from him.

Elros didn’t allow his eyes to linger over the burned, red skin or the dark, bleeding hand. He also ignored the blood pooling  around the elf’s head as a result of the rock not moments ago. He simply knelt down and threw the elf over his shoulder, heart pounding as his ears strained to listen for breathing that wasn’t there.

He prayed to the Valar that Maedhros wasn’t dead…but between the smoke, the ash, the fumes, and the head injury, Elros didn’t expect a positive prognosis.

He only hoped that Elrond could fix this mess.  

* * *

 

Aside from labored breathing and the occasional twitch of his fingers, Maedhros hadn’t stirred since he’d been handed off to Elrond. The younger twin had spent hours bent over the Feanorian, fingers hovering just above his head, lips pursed and eyes narrow as he extended his fea into the others body.

Elros sat against the wall in silence, barred from coming within five feet of the bed due to his constant pestering. Nevertheless, he could make out his brother’s grim features from where he sat.

“You might as well have killed him,” Elrond began, trying his very best to contain his anger, “The rock must have done more damage than we thought.”

“Looks like your elven strength hasn’t dwindled away completely.” He added bitterly, as he pulled the blanket up to Maedhros’ shoulder.

Elros felt his heart drop to the very bottom of his stomach, felt the air leave his body as he stood up slowly to go examine the redhead.

It was never his intention to hurt Maedhros, just to stop him.

“When do you think he’ll wake?” Elros asked grimly, as he made his way over to the bed, taking in the stillness of his father’s body. It was downright disturbing. He’d never known Maedhros to be so still.

Elrond snorted, turning to his brother in disbelief. “With the way you hit him, we’ll be lucky if he wakes at all. There’s no telling when. With the injury he’s sustained, it can be years.”

  
“I didn’t mean for this to happen, any of this.”

There was no comfort from Elrond at that, and he hadn’t expected any either. On top of losing Maglor, he’d failed to revive Maedhros. And it didn’t help that Elros was the one who hurled the rock at him in the first place.

There was an uncomfortable silence that settled between them in their silent vigil over Maedhros’ body. Neither spoke for a while, but there was no doubt that the stillness of the moment disturbed them both, speaking a truth that neither wanted to acknowledge.

“Have you found Maglor?”  Elros piped up, the quiet growing uncomfortable.

Elrond simply shook his head.  Elros could tell that his brother was deeply upset by Maglor’s absence. They were all very close to each other, but there was a special bond between Maglor and Elrond, much like there was one between Elros and Maedhros. If he knew Elrond, he’d spend eternity searching for Maglor.

Elros understood that. It was the very reason he braved the toxic gas and searing temperatures to drag Maedhros’ away from the fiery chasm.

“I will take him with me.” Elros announced, inclining his head to Maedhros’, “It’s the least I can do for all he’s done for me.”  

“You’ll do no such thing.” Elrond let the anger seep into his voice, “You’ve already done enough. The last thing he needs to do is wake up in a City of Men.”

  
Elros didn’t miss the hint of  distain. Clearly his brother was still upset about his choice of mortality.

“And waking up amongst the elves will be better?” Elros responded, “Be reasonable. If he’s ever going to wake up, at least let it be amongst those who know little of his pasts sins, those who won’t judge him.”  

Elrond knew he was right. He could see it in his younger brothers eyes, the cold fury swirling into something akin to defeat, and then finally acceptance.

The younger brother sighed.

“I will send you medical supplies to sustain his needs,” He mumbled, “And I will visit periodically with my own healers  to ensure that he is being properly cared for.”

Elros raised an eyebrow, slightly insulted, “You think I can’t watch him?”

“I think you’re human and that you won’t live forever,” he corrected, “It’s your people i’m worried about, mortals.”

Elrond had no good reason to trust mortrals, not with his life and certainly not with Maedhros’. Being the children of Earendil and Elwing, they had learned that the hard way.

“That’s…understandable.” Elros managed, reluctantly.

“Good,” Elrond responded, tightly, “But in the meantime I’ll start mentoring you on how to care for him.”


End file.
